A Walk Home
by ALargeBear
Summary: Years old feelings finally make sense during a simple walk home.


A/N: I realized I've never written anything about these three, and I needed to fix that.

* * *

Honoka always knew Umi was beautiful. Everyone always said so. Whether it was the neighborhood kids oohing and ahhing anytime she walked by as they grew up, or the countless letters that would be stuffed in her shoe locker on each Valentine's Day. It wasn't a fact any friend of Umi's could escape if they knew her long enough.

Despite all that, Honoka may have been slower than most in understanding what Umi's beauty meant to her. There were countless ways she could try and describe what Umi's allure was. Cute, pretty and gorgeous never seemed to carry the meaning she wanted out of them, and as time passed by, it never became easier. They were compliments, and Honoka knew better than anyone that they were very accurate, but it was never enough. Missing out on a deeper sentiment that she couldn't find the right word for. Maybe if she were as smart as Umi she could figure it out, or she could ask, but that was scary.

That raw and simple beauty of Umi's showed off best during simple afternoons spent doing student council work. Or at least, Honoka liked to think so. There was something so straightforward about it, from the way Umi's brow furrowed at each new form, to the way her shoulders relaxed as she put that form in the growing completed pile. Honoka couldn't stop herself from staring and her mind from wandering.

"You're spacing out again, Honoka," Umi said, looking up from some budget form as she nudged Honoka's side. "We aren't going to get done anytime soon if you aren't working."

Honoka shook her head, still caught up in the way the light of the setting sun outlined Umi's gorgeous frame. "I-I wasn't spacing out."

Umi pointed down at the paper sitting in front of Honoka. "Then why is that only halfway filled out?"

"It was just a little break." Honoka tried to refocus, still coming to with a few quick blinks. Umi's words taking a moment to set in as she shook her head. "Yeah, it was a small break. That's what it was. We've been working for hours now, and I don't know if I can go on for much longer."

"And if you keep taking breaks like that, we will be here for even longer." Umi leaned back in her chair, setting a pen down onto the table. "There are only a few papers left anyway. I think you can make it through."

"Don't be like that. A little break is fine, right Umi?" Kotori spoke up from the other side of Honoka, finishing off her current job with a quick signature. "We have been working for a long time. I think we've all earned it."

"Yeah, we should listen to Kotori," Honoka said, leaning into Kotori with a sigh. Soft and relaxing, Honoka never expected anything else, and she always savored it when she could.

"Not until we are finished." Umi thrust a pen back into Honoka's hands with narrowed eyes. "And that is final. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we get to go home. And I'd like to leave before it gets dark."

"Fine." Honoka snatched the pen with an exaggerated huff. "As long as we get to leave sooner."

"You'll be fine, Honoka, The work isn't very hard." Kotori leaned in close, her voice low into Honoka's ear. "Plus, there are only a few more papers we need to fill out, and then we can all walk home together."

Honoka smiled. "I'll do my best."

Before starting back in on the work with her new-found vigor, Honoka took a second to push her shoulder into Kotori's. She let out a deep sigh of contentment, and with Kotori offering a light pat on the head, the moment was pure bliss. Taking in the soothing calm that always came with the gentle and frequent contact.

To Honoka, that was Kotori. Caring, soft and compassionate to a fault, someone who she could lean on for comfort after a long day of stressful work without a second guess. A great friend, but that never did quite capture the raw emotion she wanted. Everyone in Muse was a great friend, putting Kotori in that same box didn't sit right. Though as deep as Honoka thought, she never could find that word.

It was like with Umi. She could feel the emotion deep in her chest hiding somewhere just out of reach, but never the right word to express exactly what that feeling was.

"Honoka," Kotori whispered, shaking her shoulder. "If you don't get back to work, Umi might get mad again."

"Ah, you're right." Honoka picked her head up, rubbing her eyes as she brought her focus back down on her work. "Nice save, Kotori."

Kotori didn't answer, smiling before going back at her own paper.

Honoka still felt the warmth on her shoulder as she righted herself, focusing back down at the work on the table. The form was some budget request from the kendo club that she couldn't bring herself to care much about. A quick flick of the wrist and she signed off on it, passing it down the line to Umi for the final seal of approval. A well-oiled machine of efficiency or that's Umi had always told Honoka she hoped for.

The glare of the sun in the windows started to fade as Honoka pulled the last paper from the formerly tall stack. Something about the softball team's upcoming training camp and what they needed for the week. She didn't care much, but with a signature a bit slower than before, it was finished. One last pass off to Umi, who gave it her quick look over, and added to the completed pile without even a second look.

"It's like I said," Umi said with a self-satisfied smile, sliding the completed pile to the side. "Just a little bit of focus, and we got done before it got too late. Now we can walk home with a little bit of sunlight left."

"I never doubted you, Umi." Kotori stood up, stretching with a long held yawn. "We know you're always doing what you think is best for all of us."

"Well." Umi followed suit, slinging her bag over her shoulder. A small hint of red on her cheeks as she looked away. "As long as you know that."

Kotori walked up close to Umi, leaning her face in closer, her words carried a gross sweetness. "Of course we know that. You're always looking out for us the best you can."

"That's right," Honoka added, her voice oozing a half-taunting compassion. "You're the best, Umi."

Umi went even redder. She didn't give any audible response as she turned her shoulder to Kotori and Honoka.

Honoka laughed a deep belly laugh alongside Kotori, her eyes fixed on a furiously steaming Umi. A gorgeous sight even when Umi was deathly embarrassed, and Honoka couldn't look away. Getting caught up in the view all over again in the deeper set sun. But she couldn't wipe the goofy smile off her face despite it all. Kotori's comfort and pretty laugh making it hard to focus solely on Umi's beauty.

Kotori wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye as her giggles subsided. "I'm sorry, Umi. I didn't mean to embarrass you like that."

"You two are always joking around like that." Umi turned around with a huff. Her arms crossed and posturing straight for the exit. "Now if you're done making fun of me, I'm going home."

"Don't be like that." Honoka grabbed her things and followed behind Umi as she left, giggling the whole way. "We weren't trying to be mean."

"Yeah, I meant everything I said." Kotori adjusted the strap of her bag as they started off down the hall, attempting to stifle a few laughs. "I wouldn't lie about stuff like that just to tease you."

Umi kept her brisk pace as they went through hallways and down stairwells. Honoka laughed the whole way with Kotori right by her side. She couldn't think of anything she would trade it for, or what it would be like for any of them to be separated. It was a future she wanted nothing to do with. She'd have to find some way to make sure of it, and make whatever it was the three of them had, permanent.

Umi finally stopped at the school's front gate, her arms folded and eyes narrowed. "Are we walking home together?"

"Not if you keep running away from us," Honoka said with deep breaths.

"Are you done picking on me?" Umi asked, arms still folded tight.

"We're sorry, Umi," Kotori said, stopping up alongside a nodding Honoka. "You know we didn't mean anything by what we said."

Umi slackened her shoulder, arms falling back down to her said as her eyes softened, the edges of her lips faintly twitching up. "Then I guess we should get going."

"Come on, let's go." Honoka was the first through the gates, head turned back with her impeccable smile. "You guys can come over to my place for a bit, right? I got a new movie the other day that I want to watch with you two."

Kotori didn't hesitate, following right alongside Honoka with her own bright smile. "I can't wait to watch it."

Umi took a moment to shake her head before taking her spot on Honoka's opposite shoulder. "It better not be another one of those romance movies like the last time."

"Don't worry about that." Honoka looked to her left at Kotori, then to her right at Umi. "This'll be a good one, I know it."

The walk home through their secret route in the local park, like most things that involved Kotori and Umi, was something that Honoka held dearly. From the faint off rhythm of their feet as they walked down the underused sidewalk, to the light breeze of the evening air, it was something special. She could laugh, and watch Kotori's face scrunch up in a fit of giggles. She could smile, and watch Umi's face light up in much the same way. They were moments in which she could feel herself almost grasping at that tucked away feeling, the explanation for it taunting her from the tip of her tongue

Streetlights buzzed to life, and Honoka felt herself drifting a couple of steps back from her spot in the middle. The artificial light formed an odd haze when mixed with the twilight of a soon to be finished day, and she watched. Kotori would laugh such a dainty laugh, and Umi would cover her mouth to hide her sheer joy in a way that only the most traditional of women would. Honoka's breath hitched. The feeling that eluded her for so long solidified in her mind as something real. Something she could vocalize.

Honoka set her jaw. Straightening her shoulder and taking a deep breath, she took deliberate steps forward. She barged her way back into the center, taking a hand in each of her own. Their uneven footsteps thudding against the ground at the same strange rhythm of her heart. The odd sensation of nerves worse than anything she'd faced as an idol.

"I love you guys so much."

It had been said so many times before, but Honoka could feel the weight on her tongue as it tumbled out. She expected tension and an uncomfortable aura. Instead, all that filled the air was anticipation and a dash of hope as they came to an abrupt stop.

"Do you mean that?" Kotori was the first to speak up, her voice trembled. Not nervous, seemingly almost on the verge of an eruption. "Honoka, I need to know if you meant that."

There were no second guesses. Honoka answered without hesitation. "I mean it. I've been trying so hard to find out what my feelings are, but know I get it. I love both of you so much, and I don't want to ever let either of you go."

A squeal and Kotori slipped her hand free to wrap her arms around Honoka's shoulders, pulling in as tight as she could. "I can't believe it!"

Honoka stayed quiet, rubbing her cheek into Kotori's. Her heart swelled, she never envisioned a partly-fulfilled love feeling so pleasant. It blocked out everything, her mind filled only the girl in her arms, and hopefully, the other at her side.

"I've always loved both of you so much, but I never thought either feel the same way." Kotori cried, rubbing her face into Honoka's uniform. "Even in my dream this never happened."

"I didn't understand it at first, but I'm sure of how I feel now." Honoka wiggled herself free enough to turn the pair toward Umi. "I don't know how I could ever get by without both of you."

Umi's body shook with her face buried deep into her hands. No answer.

Honoka crept in closer with Kotori still on her. "Umi, I mean it. This wouldn't mean anything if you didn't say yes, too."

"Honoka's right." Kotori swiped away a few of her own tears. "It has to be all three of us."

Umi mumbled into her hands, face still buried.

"What was that?" Honoka leaned in closer.

"I said." Umi lifted her face, cheeks aflame with a vibrant red. Small tears pricked at the edge of her eyes. "What the heck took you two so long?"

"So?" Honoka and Kotori echoed.

"Of course I feel the same way." Umi rubbed her eyes in one smooth motion as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "The three of us are going to be together forever. This is the most important step toward that goal."

With Kotori still hanging on, Honoka slung an arm around Umi and tugged her into the pile.

There were tears, 'I love yous', and hugs that meant so much more than they ever had. Honoka could feel it, that weighty emotion that was caught in her heart disappeared. Replaced by a love that she would make last forever.


End file.
